What’s better, the original Kindle, or the new Kindle Fire?

To answer this question, you’d first need to determine what you are buying the e-reading device for. If your primary use for it is to read books, you might find advantages to either tablet. And if you plan to primarily use it to check email, watch movies or read the digital versions of your favourite magazines, you’ll have a much different user perspective.

The overwhelming advantage that both of them seem to have is a lower price point than their competitors, which you could easily meet by using websites that take sell my stuff offers.

To get the breakdown of Amazon’s original Kindle and its newer Kindle Fire, keep reading.

To start, the Kindle is the original Amazon e-reader, and this device actually has an e-ink screen and is six inches long, making it able to simulate the actual experience of reading a book.

You can also read magazines and newspapers with the Kindle because it has built-in wifi and a user-friendly interface that makes finding and downloading reading material easy. However, the Kindle — like a book — is not backlit, making reading in dim areas a challenge.

Of course, the Kindle Fire (which can now be purchased in an HD version as well) offers the option of reading books and magazines, too. But this device offers much more. Its slightly bigger screen (seven inches) makes it ideal for watching movies and videos, as does the fact that the LCD design is wholly responsible for a better viewing experience.

But the Fire doesn’t just excel over the original Kindle in these categories. Drawing many comparisons to its market counterpart, Apple’s Ipad, the Kindle finds itself in gadget territory that makes it easier to hold, just as intuitive to use and more economical than the Ipad.

So why would anyone stick with the original Kindle if they could have all of the features of a Kindle Fire? It depends on the user’s reading habits. For frequent travellers or readers-on-the go who don’t want to lug around a stack of books, Kindle is a lightweight tool that ensures that you’ll never be without something good to read.

Also, for long-term exposure, the e-ink screen is gentler on the eyes than a backlit LCD screen. The original Kindle also boasts a much longer battery life (measure in weeks and days) than the Fire’s power source (measured in hours).

The conclusion that the Fire is the better of the two tablets, while common, is not wholly accurate. Amazon has succeeded in designing two very different devices for two different purposes — purposes that they serve well, respectively. If you’re looking for a checklist to compare the two items, you’ll fare better with holding them up against your intended use for an e-reader to get a more accurate rating.